East Ohio Conference

East Ohio Conference

≡
  • About Us
    • Welcome/Vision
    • Bishop's Office
    • Conference Staff
    • Districts/Churches
    • Annual Conference
    • Jurisdictional Conference
    • General Conference
    • General Agencies of The UMC
    • Christian Family Credit Union
    • Methodist Foundation of Ohio
  • Ministries
    • Connectional Ministries
    • Strategic Ministries
    • Missions & Community Engagement
    • Multicultural Ministries
    • Young People's Ministries
    • Higher Education
    • Camps & Retreat Ministries
    • Spiritual Formation
  • Disaster Response
    • Responding to Disasters
    • EOC Disaster Response Plan
    • Disaster Response Coordinators
    • Early Response Teams
  • Clergy
    • Pathways to Ministry
    • Board of Ministry
    • Order of Elders
    • Order of Deacons
    • Fellowship of Local Pastors
    • Retired Pastors
    • Clergy Directory
    • Clergy Well-Being
    • Changing Pastors?
    • Continuing Education
    • Sexual Ethics Policy
  • Laity
    • Pathways to Ministry
    • Board of Laity
    • Lay Leaders
    • Lay Servants
    • United Women in Faith
    • General Agencies of The UMC
  • Finance/Benefits
    • Financial & Administrative Services
    • Online Forms
    • Online Payments
    • Shared Ministry/Stewardship
    • Health Benefits
    • HealthFlex Wellness
    • Clergy Pensions
    • Death & Disability Benefits
  • Communications
    • About the Office
    • #BeUMC Campaign
    • Storyboard Podcast
    • Church Websites 411
    • Social Media 411
    • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
    • E-News
  • News
    • East Ohio News
    • E-News
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
  • Resources
    • Conference Journal
    • #BeUMC Campaign
    • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
    • Lighthouse Churches
    • Portico Online Learning
    • Resilient Leadership
    • Teach • Reach • Bless
    • Stand Against Racism
    • EOC Disaffiliation Pathway
    • Stand with Ukraine
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Online Worship Services
    • The Rule of Christ
    • Safe Sanctuaries
    • Message in Movies
    • Archives and History
    • General Agencies of The UMC
    • UMC Find-A-Church
  • Calendar
    • View Calendar
    • Suggest Calendar Event
  • Events Registration

Home | Message in the Movies

MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Film strip

His House - On Netflix Streaming

halo halo halo halo pitchfork pitchfork Rated TV-14

Directed by Remi Weekes
Starring Sope Dirisu, Wunmi Mosaku


Many years ago, I reviewed the 1997 documentary The Long Way Home. That film told the story of Jewish survivors of concentration camps who were first moved to refugee camps before encountering countries who were not interested in providing safe harbor. Their experience of liberation was more like moving from one prison to another; such is the experience of refugees today.

His House tells a contemporary story of Bol (Dirisu) and Rial Majur (Moskau), who escape the tribal warfare of the South Sudan to find a safe sanctuary in government housing near London. As they travel across the ocean in an overloaded little boat, their daughter drowns. This loss haunts their dreams.

But hope is on the way. They have finally arrived safely and will receive help. But there are conditions. There are strings attached. At their initial meeting, they are brought up to speed: “You will be subject to certain conditions. You will be reviewed, and must report to us weekly. You must not miss a single report. You will be given financial weekly support of £74 in total. You do not have permission to work or to supplement your earnings by any other means. You will be sent to a home of our choosing. You must reside at this address. You must not move from this address. This is your home now.”

As the Majurs try to adjust to their new house, they not only discover a building filled with rot and vermin, but also a place teeming with horrifying visions and spirits capable of guiding them to dark places. If they stay in their new accommodations, there seems to be no end to their torment. If they return home, they will likely face death.

This is a film filled with the big scares of their possessed tenement building, combined with daily scenes of the small indignities of microaggression, racism, and white privilege.

Yes, this is a ghost story with effective and unsettling shocks. As I watched the Majurs fight their demons, I was reminded of the hundreds of refugees to the United States who must constantly seek a way out of their darkness.

His House is a noteworthy and timely film that ends in a way that is thought provoking and compassionate. If you can tolerate a bit of discomforting violence, you may find your heart strangely warmed. This is a small gem of a movie.

Halo and Pitchfork Rating:

Four halos: A haunted house film that intends to haunt your thoughts.
Two pitchforks: Extremely violent visions; the death of a child; PG-13 occasional swearing; deplorable living conditions.

Comment:

Do you have comments about this movie or movie review? E-mail your comments. (Your name and UM affiliation must be supplied in order for your comments to be posted.)

 

≡
  • Current Review
  • Past Reviews

 

Bryant

Reviews by
Rev. Bruce Batchelor-Glader

COMMENTS! Do you have comments about this movie or movie review?
E-mail comments. (Comments will be posted to our web site.)

The East Ohio Conference Office:
located in North Canton, OH,
near Akron-Canton Airport.

Address:
8800 Cleveland Ave. NW
North Canton, OH 44720

Phones/Fax:
Local: (330) 499-3972
Toll Free: (800) 831-3972
Fax: (330) 499-3279

Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

 

  • Facebook Instagram Twitter Vimeo Flickr

  • Bishop's Office
  • Districts and Churches
  • Conference Staff
  • POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
  • Safe Sanctuaries
  • Sexual Ethics
  • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
  • Terms of Use Policies
  • RESOURCES:
  • Conference Journal
  • E-News
  • News Archives
  • Archives and History
  • EAST OHIO CONFERENCE
  • 8800 Cleveland Ave. NW
  • North Canton, OH 44720 Map
  • (800) 831-3972
  • www.eocumc.com

East Ohio Conference Logo© EAST OHIO CONFERENCE. All Rights Reserved.